Harrisburg, PA, Aug. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Pennsylvania Skill, powered by Pace-O-Matic, congratulates the Pennsylvania Lottery on achieving record revenues for the Commonwealth. This incredible growth took place at the same time Pennsylvania Skill has expanded.
According to a press release today, the Pennsylvania Lottery broke sales and profit records during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, generating more than $1.3 billion in profits to benefit older Pennsylvanians. The sale of scratch-off games totaled a record of more than $3.7 billion, up by $554.6 million, or over 17 percent, from the previous year and easily surpassing the previous record of more than $3.2 billion in 2019-20. These games account for more than 70 percent of total traditional sales. This growth is taking place in many locations where lottery and Pennsylvania Skill games operate together.
Pennsylvania Skill stated: "We congratulate the Pennsylvania Lottery on its record-breaking year. Pennsylvania Skill has also experienced increased growth and profits. We have been clear that our economic forecast numbers show legal games of skill do not negatively impact the Lottery. The Lottery's record growth confirms our findings that skill games do not impact lottery revenues.
“The fact that the lottery and skill games are performing so well is good news for the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Lottery, small businesses, fraternal organizations, seniors and charities. If the legislature agrees to regulate and impose additional taxes on skill games, this has the potential to be even more beneficial to the Commonwealth. Skill games regulated and taxed at a reasonable rate could provide over $250 million in recurring revenue to the Commonwealth annually.”
Pennsylvania Skill has been operating legal games of skill across the Commonwealth for six years, and the PA Lottery games continue to experience record growth. An economic study, conducted by Meadows Metrics and the head of economics at Villanova University, indicates lottery sales may increase if their machines are coupled with PA Skill machines in an establishment.
Like the Lottery, games of skill give back to communities. They do so through charitable giving. Supporters of legal skill games also are asking state lawmakers to pass legislation so that they are regulated and provide increased tax revenue for the state.
Pennsylvania Skill, through the locations that have the machines, provides tens of thousands of dollars across Pennsylvania to fraternal organizations, volunteer fire departments, veterans groups, schools and community groups. All of the games, and most of the parts used for building the machines, are made in Pennsylvania.
Through charity work and gaming manufacturing, funding from legal games of skill provides assistance and jobs all over the commonwealth.
Pace-O-Matic's Pennsylvania Skill products are manufactured by Miele Manufacturing in Williamsport, which has created over 100 manufacturing and manufacturing-related positions in our Commonwealth. Additionally, Pennsylvania Skill games are helping to support and grow businesses that were struggling and are now thriving and creating jobs. The revenue generated by these games has become a lifeline to fraternal clubs and organizations across the Commonwealth, including American Legions, VFWs and local fire companies. Pennsylvania Skill has donated over $1,000,000 to local charities, including food banks, children's hospitals and senior centers.
As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure compliance, Pace-O-Matic employs a team of former Pennsylvania State Police officers to enforce the terms of our contracts and our codes of conduct. These contracted terms limit the number of machines and where they are placed in a location and have protections in place to prevent anyone underage from playing the devices.
In 2014, the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas ruled Pace-O-Matic's Pennsylvania Skill games are legal as games of predominant skill. Click here to read that court decision.